Program pairs nursing students with care facilities to address staffing crisis
NEW YORK: A new program will pair nursing students with nearby long-term care facilities in an effort to address unfilled staffing positions while giving novice nurses hands-on experience.
Long-term care providers EmpRes Healthcare and Pennant Healthcare are partners in the externship program with the UW School of Nursing. The state is funding the program through a $167,000 grant.
Connecting with an academic institution that has evidence-based practices will help Pennant in its mission to provide dignified, quality care to its residents, Mindy Schaffner, Ph.D., MSN, CNS, RN, program facilitator at Pennant, said.
“I think most of all nurses that work in long-term care absolutely have to understand and want to care for people whose rehabilitation for their illness may take some time,” she said.
For its part, EmpRes will pair each student with a mentor, according to director of compliance Kristin Bolos, RN. The students, who have an interest in geriatrics, will not only “learn what our culture is and what long-term care is,” but will practice their skills while helping a “very tired workforce,” she said.
The plan is to expand the externship program to other universities and long-term care facilities around the state in the near future.